“But wasn’t that a good thing, to find something?”
“Yes, but Tony doesn’t want me to do any investigative work on my own.” Too bad I was already in over my head by the time Tony gave me that admonition.
“Will your business survive the loss?” Dallas asked.
“We’ll manage. What I’m really worried about is Sylvia. She didn’t take the news of her stolen dress too well.”
“I can imagine. I met the realtor who helped find her home. It was a lot of commission, but he wasn’t sure it was worth it in the end.”
I tried not to laugh. Sylvia was a pain, but she was also my client, and I had learned that you should always be careful what you say because it could come back to haunt you. Thinking of Lorea, my smile widened. I could say whatever I wanted to my fiery friend, and it would never equal the grumbling she did about picky customers.
Dallas and I hadn’t selected anything to watch, and the ten o’clock news rolled past. The weather report was on, and the forecast looked beautiful for the next ten days with just a couple of insignificant rain showers that probably wouldn’t amount to much. No matter how lush and green the lawns and golf course in Sun Valley appeared, we still lived in a desert. That fact was a great benefit and stress relief when planning an outdoor wedding, which is what Natalie wanted. Sylvia’s reception would be partly outdoors at the Sun Valley Club, but in the case of inclement weather, we could move indoors.
A commercial for an online dating service came on, and I flipped through fabric swatches, fingering the textures and scrutinizing the weave that might work best with the fabrics and colors Natalie had already selected. Since most of Natalie’s wedding book remained in police custody, I didn’t have the full list of fabric ideas she had written down, so I marked several that I remembered.
Dallas put his arm around me, and I enjoyed the level of comfort his presence afforded me that night. I glanced at his profile. His face seemed relaxed, devoid of the prominent cheekbones I’d admired on Luke earlier.
My mind flashed to our chance meeting, and I still couldn’t get over the fact that Luke was “the hottie.” I thought of the times I’d noticed his toned chest and muscular build, but today I had been more focused on the emotion in his dark blue eyes. I frowned. I didn’t want Luke infiltrating my thoughts, especially while I sat by Dallas, who had finally gotten the nerve to show some affection.
I hadn’t tried calling Tony again. With a sinking feeling, I realized time had slipped away after I moved the diamonds. Maybe it could wait until morning—the diamonds were safe now. Hopefully nothing would change before then. I marked a swatch and compared it to one I thought Natalie had selected. The cream-colored linen with a hint of blush would look perfect against the bouquets of pink antique roses we had planned.
I worked for another twenty minutes, sketching the layout of Natalie’s wedding, and then I moved to another project—Sylvia and Elliott’s sparkler send-off. Lorea had found the idea on Pinterest, and Sylvia actually squealed she was so excited. Each four-by-six-inch piece of cardstock was printed with an announcement:
Let the magic of true love shine!
Light the way for Sylvia & Elliott
The big send-off is at 11:00 p.m.!
I cut two small slits in the top and bottom of the cardstock so that later I could slide a sparkler into each piece to be lit for the send-off. I caught Dallas smirking after he read the card. “Don’t laugh, or you’ll be enlisted.” I waved my scissors at him, and he smoothed the grin off his face.
Dallas flipped through the stations until he settled on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives from the Food Network. My mouth watered over a barbeque chicken sandwich and fresh coleslaw while Dallas seemed particularly excited about a fried corned beef sandwich.
“Boy, we’re exciting, aren’t we?” I said as the show ended.
Dallas brushed my cheek with a kiss. “Do you have time this week to do anything more exciting?”
My stomach flipped as I breathed in his closeness. “Maybe. I just have so much to do.”
“It looks like you got something accomplished tonight.” Dallas motioned to the pile of fabric swatches and papers in my lap.
Notes were scrawled all over my sketches, and I’d marked several pieces of fabric with brightly colored paper clips. “Anyone else would call this a mess.” I set my stuff on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. “Thanks for understanding.”
Dallas pulled me closer, smiling as if he knew a secret he wanted to share with me. He touched my cheek and let his fingers trail along my jaw line, and then he cupped my chin and pressed his lips softly against mine. He retreated enough that he could look into my eyes.
“I really like you, Adri.”
I lowered my eyes and tried to think how I would describe my feelings for him. I recalled what Jenna had said about Luke and thought of my own expectations for a man who measured up to my list of qualities. I still didn’t know enough about Dallas to make that call, but I did like spending time with him. “I like you too.” My voice wavered a little, and I broke eye contact.
He wrapped his arms around me, and I relaxed against him, listening to his heartbeat thrum against my temple. His lips caressed the skin on my forehead, and I tipped my head back and allowed him to kiss me again. I let myself indulge in the moment—he was a pretty good kisser, and it had been a while since I’d been this close to a man.
A flash of heat went through me when I felt his lips on my neck. His fingers tangled in my hair as he moved the blonde curls off
